I've written this guide for those of us who want effects similar to those of Compiz-fusion (or "CF" from here on out), but either do not want to install CF, do not have quite enough resources to run it, or find it a bit too unstable for their current setup (my case).
Let's begin with discussing what CF actually is. CF is merely a compositing window manager. A window manager is computer software that controls the placement and appearance of windows (not Microsoft Windows, we're talking Kubuntu here
) within a windowing system in a graphical user interface. In simple terms, it just controls how your apps - short for "applications" - appear. A compositing window manager, on the other hand, is similar to the basic window manager, but functions as a middle man; that is, it extracts each window from the desktop, redraws how it appears, and displays a representation of the actual window on your desktop. What you see is not really the window, but a graphical representation placed there by CF, which allows CF to distort windows in ways such as "Wobbly Windows".
Emerald is the window decorator for CF. "What is a window decorator?" you might say. Well, a window decorator is the specific software that controls the appearance of applications' windows.
So, what alternatives do we have to Emerald? The answer to that question is two fold . . . we have decorators that control the appearance of the frame around windows and we have decorators that control the appearance of everything inside the window (such as buttons). Some popular frame decorators are deKorator, Domino, and Crystal; likewise, some popular content decorators are Domino (functions as both), Baghira, and QtCurve (these are not all the popular decorators, just a few). You can change the frame decoration in "System Settings -> Appearance -> Window Decorations" and the way each window's content is displayed in "System Settings -> Appearance -> Style". If the decorator you're looking for is not listed, you can probably find it at kde-look.org.
The number of available virtual desktops can be changed in "System Settings -> Desktop -> Multiple Desktops". Choose the Mouse wheel over desktop background switches desktop option if you want change desktops by scrolling your mousewheel over the Desktop Pager (the boxes on your taskbar that represent each desktop). This option even allows you to scroll through the desktops by scrolling the mousewheel on the desktop background.
Right-clicking the Desktop Pager and selection Launch Pager allows you to preview each desktop and move windows back and forth through them similar to CF's Expo plugin.
Keyboard shortcuts can be modified in "System Settings -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Keyboard Shortcuts". You can create shortcuts such as Alt+Ctrl+Shift+Right (right arrow) to move windows from one desktop to the next, Alt+Ctrl+Right to switch to the next desktop, and others. Plus, there are even shortcuts you can set that aren't currently available with CF, like Alt+Ctrl+Esc to kill windows.
Mouse themes can be changed in "System Settings -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Mouse -> Cursor Theme".
You can set your system to where you have to click the Titlebar to raise a window, which allows you to view multiple windows simultaneously, one on top another, and modify content in one while still viewing the others. To do this, open "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Focus", set Policy: to "Click to Focus", and uncheck the "Click raise active window" option. Then, click the "Window Actions" tab, and set the Left button: setting in the "Inactive Inner Window" section to just "Activate & Pass Click" (as compared to "Activate, Raise & Pass Click").
If you want to maximize a window when you double-click the Titlebar, click the Titlebar Actions tab and modify the "Titlebar double-click:" option to "Maximize". Also, if you want your windows to shad/unshade when you scroll your mousewheel over the titlebar, alter the "Titlebar wheel event" option in that same section to "Shade/Unshade"; you may also want to choose the "Animate" option in that section.
The minimization/restoration of windows can be animated by checking the "Animate minimize and restore" option in the "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Moving" tab.
You can change the window snapping options in that same section.
You can configure your setup to move windows with Alt+Left-click in the Window Actions tab. Just set the "Modifier key:" in the "Inner Window, Titlebar & Frame" section to "Alt", and set the "Modifier key + left button:" option to "Move". Likewise, you can modify the remaining settings to resize windows with Alt+Right-click (Alt+Middle-button in CF), and change a windows opacity with Alt+Scrollwheel (Super+Scrollwheel in Compiz). Note: to change the opacity, you must enable the "Use translucency/shadows" option found in the Translucency tab.
Adjusting the Opacity of windows is easy using the options located in the "Opacity" sub-tab in the "Translucency" tab. Set it to whatever you want (you may have to reboot Xserver before many changes in this section can take effecy).
Shadows can be enabled for windows in "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Translucency -> Shadows". Choose the "Use shadows" option, choose what color you want to use, and set the size and offset of the shadow.
Windows can be set to fade-in when opened and fade-out when closed in the "Effects" sub-tab next to the "Shadows" one. Choose the "Fade-in windows (including popups)" option and set the speed at which you desire the fade-in/out effects to occur. BTW, both the window fading and shadows options can only be enabled if the "Use translucency/shadows" option is checked.
Setting the "Active Desktop Borders" to "Only when moving windows" in "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Advanced" will allow you to move windows from one desktop to another by dragging the window to the edge of the screen, but not when you just move the mouse to the edge.
I would suggest unchecking the "Allow moving and resizing of maximised windows" option in "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Moving".
In summary, modifying these settings will give you an experience similar to, but not quite as nice as, CF. To get the full eye-candy experience, you need to install CF, but these options will allow you to come close.
Let's begin with discussing what CF actually is. CF is merely a compositing window manager. A window manager is computer software that controls the placement and appearance of windows (not Microsoft Windows, we're talking Kubuntu here
) within a windowing system in a graphical user interface. In simple terms, it just controls how your apps - short for "applications" - appear. A compositing window manager, on the other hand, is similar to the basic window manager, but functions as a middle man; that is, it extracts each window from the desktop, redraws how it appears, and displays a representation of the actual window on your desktop. What you see is not really the window, but a graphical representation placed there by CF, which allows CF to distort windows in ways such as "Wobbly Windows".Emerald is the window decorator for CF. "What is a window decorator?" you might say. Well, a window decorator is the specific software that controls the appearance of applications' windows.
So, what alternatives do we have to Emerald? The answer to that question is two fold . . . we have decorators that control the appearance of the frame around windows and we have decorators that control the appearance of everything inside the window (such as buttons). Some popular frame decorators are deKorator, Domino, and Crystal; likewise, some popular content decorators are Domino (functions as both), Baghira, and QtCurve (these are not all the popular decorators, just a few). You can change the frame decoration in "System Settings -> Appearance -> Window Decorations" and the way each window's content is displayed in "System Settings -> Appearance -> Style". If the decorator you're looking for is not listed, you can probably find it at kde-look.org.
The number of available virtual desktops can be changed in "System Settings -> Desktop -> Multiple Desktops". Choose the Mouse wheel over desktop background switches desktop option if you want change desktops by scrolling your mousewheel over the Desktop Pager (the boxes on your taskbar that represent each desktop). This option even allows you to scroll through the desktops by scrolling the mousewheel on the desktop background.
Right-clicking the Desktop Pager and selection Launch Pager allows you to preview each desktop and move windows back and forth through them similar to CF's Expo plugin.
Keyboard shortcuts can be modified in "System Settings -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Keyboard Shortcuts". You can create shortcuts such as Alt+Ctrl+Shift+Right (right arrow) to move windows from one desktop to the next, Alt+Ctrl+Right to switch to the next desktop, and others. Plus, there are even shortcuts you can set that aren't currently available with CF, like Alt+Ctrl+Esc to kill windows.
Mouse themes can be changed in "System Settings -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Mouse -> Cursor Theme".
You can set your system to where you have to click the Titlebar to raise a window, which allows you to view multiple windows simultaneously, one on top another, and modify content in one while still viewing the others. To do this, open "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Focus", set Policy: to "Click to Focus", and uncheck the "Click raise active window" option. Then, click the "Window Actions" tab, and set the Left button: setting in the "Inactive Inner Window" section to just "Activate & Pass Click" (as compared to "Activate, Raise & Pass Click").
If you want to maximize a window when you double-click the Titlebar, click the Titlebar Actions tab and modify the "Titlebar double-click:" option to "Maximize". Also, if you want your windows to shad/unshade when you scroll your mousewheel over the titlebar, alter the "Titlebar wheel event" option in that same section to "Shade/Unshade"; you may also want to choose the "Animate" option in that section.
The minimization/restoration of windows can be animated by checking the "Animate minimize and restore" option in the "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Moving" tab.
You can change the window snapping options in that same section.
You can configure your setup to move windows with Alt+Left-click in the Window Actions tab. Just set the "Modifier key:" in the "Inner Window, Titlebar & Frame" section to "Alt", and set the "Modifier key + left button:" option to "Move". Likewise, you can modify the remaining settings to resize windows with Alt+Right-click (Alt+Middle-button in CF), and change a windows opacity with Alt+Scrollwheel (Super+Scrollwheel in Compiz). Note: to change the opacity, you must enable the "Use translucency/shadows" option found in the Translucency tab.
Adjusting the Opacity of windows is easy using the options located in the "Opacity" sub-tab in the "Translucency" tab. Set it to whatever you want (you may have to reboot Xserver before many changes in this section can take effecy).
Shadows can be enabled for windows in "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Translucency -> Shadows". Choose the "Use shadows" option, choose what color you want to use, and set the size and offset of the shadow.
Windows can be set to fade-in when opened and fade-out when closed in the "Effects" sub-tab next to the "Shadows" one. Choose the "Fade-in windows (including popups)" option and set the speed at which you desire the fade-in/out effects to occur. BTW, both the window fading and shadows options can only be enabled if the "Use translucency/shadows" option is checked.
Setting the "Active Desktop Borders" to "Only when moving windows" in "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Advanced" will allow you to move windows from one desktop to another by dragging the window to the edge of the screen, but not when you just move the mouse to the edge.
I would suggest unchecking the "Allow moving and resizing of maximised windows" option in "System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Moving".
In summary, modifying these settings will give you an experience similar to, but not quite as nice as, CF. To get the full eye-candy experience, you need to install CF, but these options will allow you to come close.
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